


Ordinary

by teudoongiejjang



Series: Tumblr Prompts [6]
Category: K-pop, TWICE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-18
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2020-01-16 02:09:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18511753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teudoongiejjang/pseuds/teudoongiejjang
Summary: Based on a Tumblr Prompt I received;"No one knows that University Student Chaeyoung used to be a member of a massive girl group. The peacefulness of anonymity is nice. When she signed up for a Elective Dance class, she wasn't expecting for her old group mate Mina to be walk through the doors as the teacher"





	1. Chapter 1

The Son Chaeyoung standing in front of the small dorm room mirror was not the Son Chaeyoung most people remember. The Son Chaeyoung that stared intently back at her now, was for lack of a better word, ordinary. No longer did she have long tresses of black hair pulled and forcefully clipping back into her signature ponytail. Instead, replaced with a boyish choppy hairstyle framing her face on one side. Nor did she don designer clothes, provided to them by endless sponsors, or high heels that would leave her feet aching for days following performances and appearances. Tattered converse, baggy jeans and a unknown American basketball sweater engulfed her small frame. 

 

Being a member of the dubbed ‘nations girl group’ had both perks and downfalls. One of those downfalls being the lack of anonymity, her life was splashed throughout every magazine, media site, twitter and about everywhere you could think of. Nothing was ever just hers and hers alone. Well nothing except for one person. Mina. Their relationship was never quite established, but they definitely surpassed the point of friendship. With how conservative Korea is and the fate of the band relying on the success of their comebacks, they couldn’t afford to jeopardise anything. Therefore, things were kept confined to the dorm room, lingering gases and stolen kisses filled their free time. Not even the other members knew of their budding relationship.

 

The day Twice disbanded was both one of the saddest and happiest moments of her life. They had a long run, debuting when Chaeyoung was just sixteen and continuing to enjoy national and worldwide success for 5 more years. Now, Chaeyoung stood aged 21 ready to begin life as an ordinary girl. Most idols post retirement go on to have solo careers, become MCs, judges on talent shows, most desperately awaiting the day a reunion returns the familiarity of being in the spotlight adored by many. Chaeyoung decided against that. Finally, fulfilling her parents wishes to complete her education, she sent in her application to Seoul National University. Perhaps Fine Arts wasn’t what her parents had in mind for their daughter, with most wishing that their children went on to complete mind numbingly boring business or marketing degrees. Chaeyoung argued that it was a start, a compromise. After multiple heated discussions with the Dean she was granted permission to enrol under a different name; Hyejoo. Chaeyoung hoped the combination of her new appearance together with her new name would be enough to grant her a quiet university experience.

 

Huffing, she ran a hand through her short hair, covering it promptly with a baseball cap she turned to leave her dorm room. Another perk of being one of the nations most beloved idol was the privacy of a dorm room to herself. For the risk of her being recognised, the Dean though it best to forgo a roommate. Chaeyoung, a girl who enjoyed her own company, wasn’t complaining. At least this way, she could decorate any way she wished. Thinking to herself, she gave it about a week before the walls are strewn with sketches and paintings done both in class and in her own downtime. She already garnered supplies; canvases, easels, brushes, graphite, copious amounts of paints both oil and acrylic, oil pastels, chalk and much more. Anything she an artist could need. While some aspects of her university experience are far from the typical expected one, Chaeyoung was determined to have as normal a time as possible. Pulling the door closed behind, slotting the key into the lock she checked the time. 

 

“Shit,” the sharp hiss echoed through the empty hall. 

 

She had no classes today, but she had signed up for an Elective Dance class. It was a contemporary to modern dance class, she had spotted the elegant black and gold poster on the noticeboard outside the Dean’s office. When she saw it, she was reminded of two of her ex-bandmates. Mina and Momo. The two would have jumped at the opportunity to join. She always admired the two of them, one more so than the other. She admired how passionate they were about dance, how much they practiced and perfected the art. But for the most part how, even when the others could barely keep themselves upright with exhaustion slowly encompassing them, the two Japanese dancers never complained encouraging the others to run through the choreography one more time. Perhaps it was the fond memories and tinge of sadness that accompanied the realisation of no longer having them by her side 24 hours a day that possessed her to snap a quick picture of the details displayed on the poster. Which brings us to now, a little after 12.30. The class was due to start at 12.40 but with the studio being on the other side of the campus, the chances of Chaeyoung making it on time were slim.

 

Bursting through the doors to the studio, panting as she stumbled she was overcome with a slight feeling of embarrassment as everyone turned to face her. The class hadn’t even begun yet, with most students huddled around making small talk within their own cliques. The instructor didn’t seem to be present. Chaeyoung hunched over, trying to regulate her breathing before the instructor saw in such a state. It had been a while since Chaeyoung had done anything form of strenuous exercise, or any form of exercise really, and the dash across campus only highlighted this fact. She didn’t know why but she felt the overwhelming need to impress the instructor. Glancing around the rooms, she took in the students surrounding her. There was about 40 other students in the small studio, most being girls and most around her own age. Looking down at what she was wearing, she couldn’t help but feel out of place. Skin tight leggings and tank tops adorned the majority of the others, while she herself had opted for baggy clothes. Realising her mistake, she whipped off her baseball cap and sweater, dropping them carelessly in the corner with the rest of the dancers belongings.

 

The cacophony of voices that encompassed the room hushed; gasps and whispers emerging from the silence of the room. Chaeyoung didn’t understand what was happening around her as the dancers in the room buzzed with excitement. Being short didn’t help her case as she tried to see what the fuss was about. She assumed it was the instructor who had entered but why they received such as reaction was beyond her. Trying her luck, she gently elbowed her way past a small group of girls to the front of the room. As she did she realised what the fuss was about. Standing in front of her, gym bag slung over her shoulder, was her ex-band mate. Myoui Mina. That was a vital detail that was left off of the poster. Perhaps that was the point. Surely, if people had known a former idol was teaching the class, students without any interest would be showing up for the chance to meet the celebrity. By the looks of it and the reaction of the dancers in the room word wouldn’t stay confined to the studio anyway. Head down, she weighed her options in her head. She could hide in the back and pray Mina doesn’t notice her, or she could make a break for it now and slide out of the room unnoticed while Mina gets the class set up. She’s broken from her thought process when, the familiar soft voice carries across the room,

 

“Chaeyoung?”

 

Mina is looking right at her, any chance of going through college unrecognised shattered. But for some reason Chaeyoung, staring into the older girl’s eyes, can’t find it in her to care anymore.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for being gone so long. I'll be updating this more regularly. Italics are memories/flashbacks

“Chaeyoung?”

 

Mina appraised the girl, Chaeyoung felt small under the scrutiny. Sinking back, she watched as the dancer’s eyes landed on her hair. The corners of her mouth tugged up the faintest bit, something akin to a smile. Chaeyoung knows why. Remembering that night, she felt her hear swell with both nostalgia, love and sadness. The memory was a fond one, but it also brought with it a want. She wished they could go back. Back to when things were easier, back to when they spent their time together, as friends to their bandmates, but as more to each other.

 

_Fingers lightly carded through her hair, scratching her scalp gently as they lay on the couch. Nothing much was said, but the others presence was enough. Chaeyoung lay atop of the older girl with her head perched in the crook of Mina’s neck. It was late, that much they knew. They weren’t quite sure how long they’d been like that but as the light from outside the window slowly faded away giving rise to relative darkness, it gave them an indication that it had been quite some time. The only source of light in the room now came from the muted television to which they weren’t paying any attention. When they were together the laws of time seemed to be abolished, hours felt like minutes and no amount of time was ever enough._

 

_The harsh reality that the country they lived in frowned upon love, when it wasn’t between two people of the opposite gender, never failed to frustrate Chaeyoung. If someone were to witness the two of them now, completely unguarded with each other, the rawest version of themselves on display content to lay in each other’s presence for hours on end no conversation needed, and call it anything other than beautiful, Chaeyoung wouldn’t believe them. While the conservative general population was getting better and slowly opening up their minds to things not of the ‘norm’ to most, Korea still had a ways to go and the two knew this better than most._

 

_The tranquillity of the scene would soon be disturbed, the other members were due back soon._

 

_“Chae, the others will be back soon,” the voice was barely as whisper but in the peacefulness of the room, it startled Chaeyoung. Light airy laughter at her jumpiness had the younger playfully pushing at Mina’s shoulder and pouting. Mina found her adorable, and couldn’t help but steal a kiss from her in the moment._

 

_“that’s not fair! I’m mad you can’t kiss me,” grumbled the smaller girl as she pushed herself up, allowing her hair to curtain the faint blush spreading across her cheeks at Mina’s actions. Perching herself on her elbow, Mina placed her head in her hand and used the other to reach out and resume running her hands through Chaeyoung’s hair._

 

_“you should cut your hair,” she pondered the thought aloud._

 

_“do you not like it?”_

 

_Chaeyoung thought it was almost comical how Mina jumped up with her hands outstretched, apologies and rebuttals spilling from her mouth with no control. Her expression twisted from apologetic to a slightly glare when it dawned on her that she was being teased by the smaller girl._

 

_“I hate you, do you know that?” the admonishment held no malice, without even a glance Chaeyoung could hear in the lilt of her voice that she was smiling._

 

_“I like you, do you know that,” the admission was uttered, eyes downcast and the blush that painted her face minutes previous had returned. Lips pressed against and lingered on her cheek and a hand came to rest on her waist. She didn’t need her to say it back, this was enough for her._

 

_“I think short hair would really suit you, Chae”_

 

_“I might cut it for you one day, babe. Be careful what you wish for”_

 

The flicker of recognition that ghosted across her face, slowly morphed into a slight frown. This brought Chaeyoung back to reality. Her eyes, once light with admiration and something akin to love, turned cold in the time it took Chaeyoung to attempt to stutter out a broken reply. The harsh stare burned into her. They hadn’t ended on bad terms, so confusion seeped into Chaeyoung’s mind as to why Mina, sweet and kind Mina, looked at her now as if she meant nothing to her. As if they weren’t even friends, let alone anything more at one point. The wave of misery that crashed through her was almost overwhelming. Shrinking back in on herself, she broke eye-contact with the now stranger that stood in front of her. Remembering her wish to remain anonymous Chaeyoung, no Hyejoo, turned to retrieve her belongings. It felt as though everyone gazes in the room fell onto her, even with her back turned she could feel the stares. Wanting nothing more than the ground to split open and swallow her up she rushed, clumsily almost falling, to the door to the studio. With hands on the metal bar between the awkwardness that surrounded her and freedom, she half turned to mumble a reply.

 

“No, I think you have me confused with someone else. I’m Hyejoo”, with that being said she left.


End file.
